Present and Future Applications of the Internet of Things

Conclusion

While 58 percent of developers expect the IoT to expand beyond smartphones and tablets within two years, and 60 percent see future IoT apps running in the cloud and interacting with multiple devices, the survey results demonstrated that developers do not see the Internet of Things as a lasting trend. Many felt that IoT devices will be replaced in the next five to 10 years by an even more advanced technology. A future-forward sentiment that seems to epitomize this fast-moving field is that there is always something even better and more innovative right around the corner.

The Internet of Things (IoT) can be simply defined as an interconnection of uniquely identifiable, embedded computing-like devices within the Internet infrastructure, but the term and dictionary definition often only limit future applications of the technology. A recent IoT industry survey by New Harbor Research and commissioned by Progress found that nearly half of the developers who were surveyed are building IoT applications right now, and nearly three-quarters of them are excited by the technology's potential. This growing industry trend is evidenced by the vast array of smart devices, connected appliances and wearables along with accompanying applications currently on the market.

The survey asked developers about their thoughts on where the Internet of Things is headed. Topics ranged from the commercial reality and future potential of the IoT to developers' biggest concerns and challenges as well as the opportunities for innovation currently available. Also discussed were the most popular operating systems and platforms for IoT development, and leading IoT industries today and looking forward.

A surprisingly diverse number of opinions were revealed about the current status of IoT adoption, where it will be in the future, and how to leverage it today.

Here are the top five compelling patterns that developers are seeing emerge in the Internet of Things space.

Cost reduction has been the main driver of IIoT adoption. Other contributors are the emergence of ancillary and complementary technologies, including low-power hardware devices, the cloud, Big Data analytics, robotics and automation and smart sensors. ... More >>